Off-Topic: The 2011 NBA Finals

I won't do this a whole lot - but since I have more than a passing interest in basketball, I thought I should share my ha'penny's worth on The Finals which starts this evening (as if you didn't know).

Let me start with Miami.

Is anyone going to give Erik Spoelstra credit? With the Big Three joining forces in the offseason, the conventional wisdom was that they would struggle at first with their roles but grow more comfortable over time. I don't think the consensus of the prognosticators had them making the NBA Finals in their first season together. And certainly no one saw this coming when Miami started the year 10-8 and had an (admittedly small though not insignificant)incident between Spoelstra and LeBron James. At that point, the question on the minds of many was "When will Pat Riley take the team over?"

Since December began, Miami has gone 60-19, playoffs included. And of course, the players deserve the great majority of the credit - but no team coaches itself. In a high-pressure, high-expectation situation, Spoelstra didn't make waves and kept a steady hand during Miami's rough start. And he did what you'd expect a good coach to do with this personnel - put the ball in the hands of the two best players (Wade was tied for 4th-5th in the NBA (with Russell Westbrook) with a 31.6 Usage rating, James was just behind at #6 with a 31.5 Usage) and let them create. Miami finished the year 3rd in the NBA in offensive rating and 5th in defensive rating, and #1 in SRS. That's one hell of an accomplishment for what is essentially a brand new team, and Spoelstra deserves at least a little recognition.

And now, a few words on the Western Conference champions.

I am rooting for the Dallas Mavericks. Not easily, mind you - my favorite team is the San Antonio Spurs - but I am. For a few reasons:

1) Miami looks poised to win two or three championships in the next four or five seasons; someone better clip them now.
2) Why root against Miami? I don't dislike them - LeBron's okay by me. He's done a few things I don't care for, but there are worse guys in the NBA and in sports. I just don't care for super teams, great talents coming together to make winning championships easier. I am very much a sports socialist: leagues are better in my opinion when the talent is diffuse and more different teams have a chance to win.
3) Dirk Nowitzki. Unlike most pro athletes, Dirk is a guy who lets people in when things aren't going well. He admits when his confidence is low, and he'll be frank when explaining a loss. It's refreshing, if baffling. I mean, why show any weakness? But that's Dirk: he's honest. This is secondary, however: first and foremost, I marvel at the man's game, even when he's going nuts on the Spurs. It would be a shame if such a brilliant player didn't earn a ring. (Of course, he wouldn't be the first)
4) Like in the case of Dirk, I'll be happy for Jason Kidd and Shawn Marion. They've been great pros for a long time.
5) Old teams, and Dallas is definitely an old team, aren't supposed to win. So it's a better story if Dallas wins.
6) Dr. Niles Crane Rick Carlisle. He's been a top coach for years, one of the few survivors among coaches younger than the Sloan/Jackson/Popovich crowd. And he was the guy who laid the foundation for Larry Brown's Pistons, so it would be good for him to actually be at the helm for one of these.
7) How cool would it be to see David Stern handing the LOB to Mark Cuban? Oh my God, Stern's fake smile would never look more stressed.

But of course, who I root for and who I pick are not necessarily the same thing. And in this specific case, they are definitely not the same thing. Miami will win games one, two, four, and six for the first of several championships in the next five seasons.